T says she's just in shock right now, working on Xanax and blankness. They cremated her on Friday.

Ugh.

I need to buy a rake and some more lawn bags. I am a total noob when it come to gardening, but by god, this year, my yard will not be a brown hole of despair.

Does anyone know when it's the proper time of year to lay grass seed or till? Do I need to start adding nutrients or plant cocaine down or something? Any sites for absolute idiots at gardening who live in the Midwest? I have a Zone, right? I MUST KNOW MY ZONE!

Not this weekend, but next, I am going to start some plants in containers inside. I know I want an herbal planter -- I will start some basil, and some mint, sage, cilantro, catnip, and thyme. I would also like to get a rosemary thing -- bush? Stalk? Plant? They smell so good.

The cooperative extension service to the rescue! Aren't you in Kansas? [link] I think you're around 6B [link]

There must be such a resource for western Virginia, too. I need it. I am such a shitty gardener, you'd think I could fertilize with my mere presence.

I think every state has an extension service. Here's Virginia: [link] In addition to the publications, there's probably a local extension agent you can call.

Just in case anyone else wants to find a local coop extention, here is a map, click on your state to find more local offices: [link]

Connie and Erin, those are terribly sad things. And so scary, how quickly a loved one can just be gone.

Since there seems to be a gardening theme this morning, I need some advice about container gardening in the Pacific Northwest. I did quite a bit in Texas but this is my first spring in Oregon and I'm not sure what grows well, particularly here on the coast where the sunshine is brilliant but sporadic. Any suggestions?

I am not too hungover. Crashed at a friend's house last night, and am medicating wih coffee and food. We ended up at some guy's house and I talked to this dude for a couple of hours. Need to go home and start being productive, but it's a cool rainy day and I so wish I could just nap and be lazy.

I've gotten a lot of good advice for local gardening by asking people at the nearby botanical gardens and at a nursery (a stand-alone nursery, not a Lowes or other big box add-on--although those are useful, too, for other things). Gardeners generally love to talk gardening, and they'll tell you things like, "Delphiniums don't tend to do well around here, and no one knows why. Still, that's $8 you might want to put toward something else." (I tried it anyway. The delphinium didn't do well.)

I think I am 5b. Thanks, that's so useful.

I plan on going to the local nursery -- there's a really good one about 5 minutes from our house, Soil Services, that my gardening girlfriends like -- but I want to have some ideas of things I would LIKE to ask about, to see if they would do well.

How do you know if your soil is acidic, or well-drained?